In the video game industry, there are several different types of game controllers or video game pads for video games. Video game players use the video game controllers to control and manipulate different functions or operations in the video games. The video game controllers typically include different controls or input devices such as buttons, triggers or joysticks to control these operations.
Conventional video game controllers include at least one joystick for allowing a player to operate and play a video game, such as for moving, looking and steering in various directions within the game. A typical joystick includes only a single or normal mode of operation. For example, a joystick of a conventional controller is configured such that when a player moves or pushes the joystick upwardly and downwardly, respectively, the game responds by moving up and down, respectively. Players, however, often prefer controlling the video game in the opposite manner. That is, some players prefer moving the joystick upwardly and downwardly to result in the game moving down and up, respectively, similar to the directional movements made when flying an airplane. The conventional controllers do not include mechanisms for providing an opposite or inverted mode of operation in addition to the normal mode of operation. As a result, any dual mode operation capability must be setup or incorporated into the video game software. The setup is often complicated, time consuming and generally requires players to pause or quit a game to switch operation modes.
Accordingly, to accommodate different preferences of players, there is a need for a video game controller that enables players to quickly and easily switch between different modes of operation such as between a normal mode and an inverted mode.